Finding Home
by belleoftheball95
Summary: She is all she has ever had. Wellesley has lived through such agony that no one should ever experience. When a member of the straw hats tumbles into her grasp by fate, she will do whatever she can to get her back to her crew. And maybe she will find her own along the way. Slow burn.
1. Prologue - Nami

A/N Regular type- story

_ Italicized- Thoughts_

Prologue - Nami

The island just off the horizon was beautiful, a glittering green jewel in a sea of blue. It was not too different from the climate of Alabasta. Only instead of the vast desert of Alabasta, this one had lush foliage and a bustling port town from my spot at the helm of the Going Merry. I thought of all the stylish clothes I was going to buy and all the maps I was going to get and couldn't help the little dance of glee that I broke out in.

As I walk down to where Robin was reading her most recent purchase, a book called _Islands of the Grand Line_, I begin yelling out orders to the others to move the ship more on course with the island.

"Robin!" I chirped, "I'm going to go shopping when we reach the island; do you want to come!?" I was practically bouncing with excitement. It had been so long since I last had a proper shopping companion. What with Vivi always being so concerned about her kingdom to pay attention to local fashions correctly and with the boy being well, the boys.

Robin looked up at me; however, with her unreadable smile and fathomless blue eyes and slightly shook her head. "No, Miss Navigator. I believe I'm going to stay on board and finish my book, guard the ship."

Disappointed, I pouted grumpily and sighed, "Ok. If I see anything that I think you might like, I'll pick it up for you."

"That is most generous. Thank you. Before you leave, I have a few things I'd like to share with the crew about this island. From the look of it, it appears to be this one listed rather briefly in my book." She then pointed at a somewhat blurry photo taken from a far off ship that looked very similar to what the coast we were looking at might look like at night. Smiling at her, I nodded, and I shouted for the others to come over.

We all sat around Robin's sunchair and listened as she briefly explained to us the brief history of the island. Fallnia, she called it. She read aloud from the short passage in her book, "Most of its history is unknown, aside from a brutal war that ended rather abruptly after five days over eleven years ago." Chopper and Sanji asked various questions regarding the island and the fight, about what the kinds of cuisine the island known for, and if there were any medicinal plants native to Fallnia. But Robin did not know.

"There isn't a complete written history, and it says here that people are not likely to immigrate in or out, I wonder why." she said thoughtfully, "Not many people pass through this island since the war either. Tourism, the island's leading industry, has all but dried up." A cryptic, thoughtful look crossed her face, but she seemed to internalize it before she went back to reading her book, signaling the end of their discussion on the new island. I looked at her a little concerned. _I wish she felt comfortable sharing her thought with us. After all this time, she's still standoffish. _

Still pouting over Robin's refusal to go shopping and pondering her rather hurried and lacking info on the island, I wandered over to where Zoro and Sanji had gone to start docking the ship. A quick survey of the area showed no immediate signs of other pirates and a miraculous lack of marines, actually, no other boats at all. _Well, that's no duh, Robin did say tourism had stopped. _With a smile and a shrug, I proclaim it safe to leave the ship. With my climatact secured to my thigh and my pack slung over my shoulder, I jumped over Merry's side and landed primly next to Sanji.

His eyes immediately turned to hearts as he leaned toward me, a thick cloud of smoke following in his wake, "Oh my sweet Nami-swan~~~! May I have the honor of carrying your pack for you? Ladies shouldn't have the burden of such heavy things on their most delicate shoulders!"

Smiling at him, I gently passed him my pack, sighing in relief once the weight of my map charting equipment and shopping money were off my shoulders. Hanging it with ease over his left shoulder as if it weighed nothing, we walked over to where the rest of our crew had gathered.

"Oi shitty-cook, you can carry my pack too if you're offering," Zoro shouted with a laugh.

"As if dumb Marimo. I only handle the bags of the loveliest ladies. Not thick-headed idiots like you." A vein suddenly throbbed in Zoro's head as he leaned toward Sanji.

"Who you calling an idiot?!"

"You dumb-ass!" Sanji shouted back, leaning, so their heads almost smacked against each other in their anger. There bickering was irritating, so I reached up and grabbed both their ears and dragged them back. "Quit it, you two! We don't need any attention this early in our trip ashore." I released them and was pleased to see them stay silent though Zoro glared a little as he rubbed his sore ear.

Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper followed close behind us. Luffy was already wondering aloud about what kinds of meat this place will have while Chopper was trying not to melt from the oppressive heat.

"Meat! Meat! Meat! Sanji, I want meat!" Luffy is far too enthusiastic, already beginning to edge away from the Merry and toward the town. Quickly I knock him in the back of the head as I see him about to start running off.

"Knock it off, you moron! We can't just run off in a billion directions. We need to get supplies for the Merry. Or did you want to set off from here with nothing!"

Rubbing to knot on his head Luffy muttered under his breath. Something about a mean witch.

"What was that?" I asked faux-sweetly with my fist raised halfway between us. "Nothing!" he shouts and runs to the other side of Zoro. _Like that would stop me_, I think with a small smile. Taking a breath, I rattled off my plan for the trip.

"Ok, so. Sanji, you and I will head to the shopping district so you can load up on supplies. I'm going to shop around for maps of this area. Chopper, you and Usopp check for medical supplies and whatever else you think you might need. Luffy, you and Zoro stay with the ship and help Robin guard it."

Our captain reacted with the sullen outrage of a child,

"But Nami~~~! I want to explore the island!" Luffy crossed his arms and scrunched his face up in his best-disgruntled scowl.

"No, the last thing we need is you and Zoro getting lost and us having to search for you." Holding up my wrist, I showed them the log pose. "The log pose has already started to set. Given how fast that is, I can only imagine it will be ready in a day, maybe less. I want everything ready to go before that. The Merry needs repairs, so the quicker we get to Water 7, the better!"

They seemed to understand, if barely, and like reprimanded toddlers, Zoro and Luffy started to sulk, Zoro muttering something about how he wouldn't get lost if the buildings didn't move, and Luffy muttering about how he was the captain and shouldn't he make the rules. Ignoring them, I walked ahead of them to catch up with Sanji chuckling as I went.

The town was lovely. Rows of terracotta houses and storefronts painted in sunny yellows, and earthy reds with dark clay roof shingles dotted each side of the road, each window framed with ivy and overflowing window boxes filled with large sweet-smelling flowers. The path we were walking on was constructed out of worn cobblestones of varying colors. The grouped colors appeared to show pictures. _A story, maybe? _The trail meandered through the village, faded images lost to time. A dozen or so cart vendors peddling quick snacks and touristy trinkets crowded around the more established stores. And as I looked closely, I noticed that the carts were mostly selling what was already in the stores behind them, just more in your face about it. I gasped in joy as we passed a fountain with an extremely detailed carving of a mermaid holding a clamshell high above her head. The clam erupted a shining stream of water that trickled quickly into various swirls and whirls carved around the mermaid's body, before coming to rest in the pool beneath her.

Sprinklers interspersed every few yards shot off cooling water every couple of minutes. The spray would mist over Sanji and me, and it was wonderfully refreshing, given how hot the morning was turning out to be, I could not have been more grateful for the relief. People hustled and bustled on either side of us. Men in elaborate headdresses tried to pawn cheap tourist crap, women and children passing by hurriedly, most likely trying to get their errands done before the day became too hot.

Sanji and I walked on, deeper into the town. Past the cute houses and towards the more rugged-looking wooden buildings boasting faded signs and more steady local foot traffic. This area, Sanji had said, would prove to have the best supplies, given it's not mass-produced for an almost dead tourist base. We passed various dress shops on the way, and I could only laugh and blush as Sanji waxed poetic about how I would look in this or that. He was an endless flirt, but I could see that it was slightly hollow. Sanji used his best flirting on strangers. To him, I would always be a friend, closer to family. As such, I knew we could never cross that very stringent line, but it was nice to be on the receiving end of a little attention now and then. I linked my arm with Sanji's as we continued to walk on. I enjoyed the happiness that the action brought to his face.

We passed various shops as we walked. I'd already purchased a dozen reams of map paper of a slightly waterproof material that was sure to make longer-lasting maps and a new package of charcoal pencils. I'd also grabbed a new thigh rig for my climatact that would hold it more securely. The salesman recommended it be fitted to the weapon, so we decided we would swing back by on the way back to the ship.

I lifted my face to the sun and closed my eyes, enjoying the light breeze that had blissfully started blowing. Opening my eyes, I was once again amazed by the lovely scenery. It was thrilling to see the towering palm trees growing on either side of the path. The whole place was reminding me of Alabasta and Vivi. And suddenly I realized how much I missed her. While it was fantastic having Robin on board, we'd yet to form any long-lasting bond as I had with the rest of the crew. Vivi had almost been like a sister, and that wasn't something that one just got over losing or was replaced so quickly. Sighing and feeling suddenly morose, I quietly allowed Sanji to pull me into a butcher shop. As Sanji began to haggle over various kinds of meats, I quickly grew bored. Hoping to catch a peek at any local book shops for cartography materials, I glanced out the large bay windows of the store. As I was scanning the names of various shops, I caught a flash of blue in my peripheral.

Turning, I saw the perfect cowboy hat. I knew that Robin would love it. It was a vibrant royal blue with black and silver edging the brim. I walked out of the butchers without even thinking. For some time, I had wanted to find something that would make Robin feel welcome, and what better way than getting her one of her preferred head accessories. Exiting the butchers as Sanji's voice began to rise over what he clearly thought was an unacceptable problem with what the butcher was offering, I quickly walked across the small plaza to the clothing shop. I stood in front of the small window admiring the hat as it sat framed by the vines growing up along the glass. Looking at the left-hand side, I noticed a whole outfit that went with the hat, and I felt ever so pleased with myself as I imagined her reaction to receiving it.

As I walk into the shop, the little bell overhead rang softly. The inside was cramped. Overstocked clothing hung from every shelf, and the floor was almost overflowing with shoes of every size, color, and style. The shop should have been jam-packed given the relatively low prices I saw on the signs on my way; however, it was dead silent inside. I walked toward the cluttered front desk and quickly tapped the small bell near the register.

"Hello! Is anyone here?" I hollered a little louder than I might typically have inside, in case they were way in the back or something. It took a few minutes and shouts before anyone came to the front. The person who walked out, though, was not as I was expecting. She was short in stature, coming no taller than my shoulder. Her hair was a dull brown that was the same shade as her hair, which was in a no-nonsense style, cut at her shoulders. Her name tag read 'Jane,' and given how bland her appearance was, the equally dull name fit her perfectly. She did not speak when she saw me — only standing stock-still behind the counter as if awaiting direction.

"Uh.. hi," I said awkwardly, "I want to buy that blue outfit in the window, please. The one with the cowboy hat." She bowed her head slightly and moved around the counter to grab it and begin packaging my purchase. Watching her walk was unnerving. Her steps were so smooth and gentle that she appeared to be floating. I watched her curiously as she wrapped each item into its parcel of brown packaging paper before placing them in an equally brown paper bag. She did not make a sound the entire time. I was almost mesmerized by the time she passed a slip of paper indication the price of 230 berries. I was dazzled by the low cost. I pulled a small bag of Berries from inside my shirt and quickly passed her the required amount. I chuckled to myself as I thought of Sanji with my pack back in the butcher. _Like I'd keep all my money in one place. A girl needs a little self-indulgence at a moment's notice now and then._

Jane still had not said anything to me. Not even 'Thanks for shopping,' before she turned away and retreated into the dark backroom.

_So weird_, I thought,_ I wonder why she didn't want to talk to me._ Shrugging it off, however, I began walking back toward where I last saw Sanji.

I was humming_ Bink's Sake _to myself, feeling ever so pleased with myself, as I clutched Robin's present to my chest, I had just started to sing _Yohohoho _aloud when two men in guard outfits crept up behind me.

Their initial grab surprised me so badly that I didn't notice I had stopped moving forward till I was already hanging over someone's unforgiving shoulder; it pressed painfully into my gut, stuttering my breath. The shock wore off quickly, however, as I drew in air to scream, a wad of fabric was jammed into my mouth and secured behind my head; my arms were wretched behind me and fastened with a rope. I began to struggle in earnest, and one of the men, a tall man with scruffy greying hair and pasty skin, promptly smacked me on the side of my head for my trouble. Blood welled as I felt my lip split, and the heat near my eye let me know it'd swell soon.

"Stop struggling slut. You'll be with your new Master soon enough." My captor shouted roughly, his hand swatting my bare thigh painfully.

_Master? What the hell has that supposed to mean?!_ _And who the hell are they calling a slut?! _I didn't stop struggling, though, no matter how often they cuffed me in the head, and eventually, I was able to smack my captor very hard in the mouth, splitting his lip. He cursed and pulled me a little farther down away from his face.

"This bitch is wriggly. Here, Fredric, you carry her a bit." The man holding me, the stouter of the two and balding, threw me unceremoniously to his companion who gripped me bridal style, so more of me pressed against his body. I gagged a little as it was clear this man had not showered in quite some time. In the shuffle, my gag came loose. I tried again to scream. To let anyone know what was happening. But my kidnapper, Fredric apparently, quickly tightened his grip to the point of suffocation and began to run. As he ran with me, I glanced at the shop in time to see Jane, the shop girl, I pleaded with her to help me with my tear-filled eyes, but she only turned her head away and quickly snapped the blinds in her window closed.

Tears finally began to fall from my eyes as we began to round a corner, panic seeping farther and farther into my bones. Just before we were out of sight, I saw Sanji walk out of the butcher shop with a significant parcel on his shoulder. He turned sharply toward our direction, and for a second, I thought he might have seen me. But it was only my dropped packages that had caught his eye. The last thing I saw was him bending down to grab it. Then one of the men hit me again, and I lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 1 - Wellesley

A/N Regular text - story

_ Italicized text - thoughts_

Chapter 1 - Wellesley

God, I want to sleep. As if the hard mattress and scratchy blankets weren't enough to chase sleep away, a constant wailing from one of the newer girls was going to drive me bat-shit if she didn't shut up soon. It's not like I don't feel for the girl, Sady I think her name is, it's just that once you've been through the first night of someone's slavery over one hundred times, the crying begins to wear thin, Wendie and a few of the older girls had been tending to her; the guards had dragged her back around ten last night. And with it now creeping toward noon, I was completely over it.

"Shut her up!" I screamed from underneath my pillow. Silence met me. Sady's hiccuping sobs still pierced the air, but all the hushing and soothing noises had stopped.

"How can you say that!" Spat Tara, she had only been in our cell for three months. I hated her. Even if she weren't so sour, I still would have hated her. She wore an air of arrogance and entitlement that did not belong in a slave, especially not one that had been a peasant beforehand. Every word she spoke dripped with malice. Her piggish-nose always trusted up in the air as if she thought she was better than you. She had hated me from the first moment she had met me; when I laughed at how ridiculous she looked in another girl's harem clothes. _Not my fault that she looked like a skeleton in a pillowcase._ The memory made me smile, and thankfully she couldn't see that from under my pillow. A loud noise was still buzzing in the otherwise silent room. _Oh right, Tara is yelling at me. _

"You understand her pain; you know what they did to her, how can you have such apathy for her? Are you this heartless?" _Her __calling me heartless. What a joke._

Scoffing, I threw my pillow to the side and met her amber eyes with my green. "I'm not unsympathetic. I'm just tired. She's been crying for hours. All they did was slap her around a bit. If this is how she reacts to her first night with Marcus, she won't last a month once His real attention sets it." Of course, more groans came from Tara and her crony Jezza. Jezza's wavy purple hair hung in thick layers covering her eyes, but I bet if I could see them, they'd be glowering. They had stood as if they meant to confront me. They were under the mistaken impression that being a slave implied you needed to be miserable every waking second. Permanent scowls and frown lines had already worn their way into their faces, and they took my constant stone-like expressions and my laid-back nonchalance as personal affronts to their hell. While it's accurate that no moment is joyous, not taking the time to sleep or share a happy story with a bunkmate was likely to unwind your mind much faster than any torture our captors could dream up.

They met me with more silence and glares. They had yet to take a step, but I could see Tara's foot trembling as if she wasn't sure she knew what she wanted to do. Preparing myself, I threw my blanket to the side and gave off a deceptive air of apathy. The others in our cell kept quiet. They had all been with me for at least two years, so they were well aware of what I would do to Tara if she decided to take that first step.

"Tara. Maybe tone it down a bit, yeah. We've all been up all night and were a little stressed. Let's not do something you'll regret." Oh sweet Wendie, always the peacekeeper.

Tara rounded on her with a pinched shriek. "Oh shove off, Wen! I don't understand why you put up with her. She's lazy, sarcastic, and its as if she doesn't care about what's happening to us!" _I care, _I thought at her_, you'll never know how much I care. _A painful squeezing started in my chest, but I managed to keep my face blank. I was rubbing at the circular scars on my wrist, trying to keep myself calm. It wouldn't do any good to start smacking Tara around, even if she was dumber than a box of hair.

"Yeah," Jezza added with a sneer, leaning back on the wall near Sady's head, "I bet she even likes it when King Pin picks her. I've certainly never seen her come back beaten or bruised, but I have seen the hickeys and love bites up and down her body when they bring her back, and we all know how often she volunteers. Tell me, Lav, what exactly do you do for him that he's so gentle with you." My blood froze. Flashes of the man who claimed to love me touching me, kissing me, and it made my stomach turn. Of all the things Jezza could have said, this was undoubtedly crossing a line. Before she could finish laughing, I had left my bed and had smashed my fist into her jaw, one of her teeth flying out of her mouth with the impact. I dazedly watched as it skitters underneath a nearby chest, leaving a hopscotch path of blood drips in its wake. _Huh, a molar. Cool._ Sady screeched as Jezza collapsed. I stood over her looking at her blood drip off my had and breathing hard.

She fell hard on her knees, no doubt ripping the material of her pants as she hit the hard stone floor. She was grasping her face and making gurgling sounds as blood from her split lip and missing tooth flooded down her throat. Tara fell to Jezza's side and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. She stared up at me with a stern scowl. _Can she even make any other face anymore?_

"What the hell is the matter with you?! Don't we get enough abuse from them; now we have to get it from you too!" I couldn't speak. I was too focused on the way the afternoon sun was making Jezza's blood on my knuckles candy red. I wondered how it tasted. Pushing that thought away, I forced every breath, trying to stave off the oncoming panic. I tried to focus on something else; the dark grey stone walls of our cell, the equally dark stone floor that seemed designed to suck heat away from anything that touched it, but it wasn't working. Too many flashes of Him had started to stream through my brain, and I could feel my carefully crafted facade cracking at the edges. No other girl in all my time here ever spoke of Marcus if they didn't have to. Our cell was our safe space, where he never dared to tread. It was our most strict taboo, bringing Him up against another prisoner. My hands had started to tremble.

However, before I could completely break down, Wendie had grabbed me around the shoulders, giving me a firm shake. Leaning close, she whispered in my ear, "You need to calm down. Think! If you hurt her anymore, you know He will react badly. He might even hurt, well, you know who." Wendie's words brought air back to my lungs as they sunk in. I had to behave. Quickly wiping Jezza's blood on my harem pants, I moved back to my bunk and met Jezza's eyes. I thought about saying something but felt that we had already interacted more than we probably should for the time being.

"Tara," she looked at me, furious, w_hat else is new. _"Tell you, friend, to watch her mouth. Her teeth seem to have a habit of running away. I'd hate for it to happen again." I put extra malice in my words but didn't feel them. I did not relish attacking fellow captives. Tara was right, our lives were already too hard, but I will be damned if I let her get away with that.

Tara didn't respond. For once seeming to know when to shut her cranky mouth. Jezza, however, seemed to have other ideas, though, as she opened her badly bloodied mouth to speak, only a gasp came out as the pain in her mouth cut her off. I did hear what might have been the tail end of 'bitch,' but I chose it to ignore it. I chuckled a little and rolled my eyes. Tara went back to comforting Sady, but having caught me laughing at her friend's pain, she began trying to glare a hole in my head. I blocked her out though, my mind already on its way back to numbing indifference. Closing my eyes, I tried to meditate, I attempted to project an air of calm that I most definitely was not feeling. I had almost reached a point where I could probably attempt a few hours of sleep.

I didn't get the chance. Just at that moment, the door to our cell began to crack open. Every hair on my body stood at attention as the poorly oiled door squeaked open. My head was froze suspended halfway to my pillow, my long lilac-colored hair blocking my view of the intruders. Various scenarios ran through my head, none making sense at this time of the day. Usually, the door only opened when our owner wanted one of us, and they had come to make a selection. It was a hellish experience because it was always random, and you had no way to prepare yourself. Another reason for the immediate fear was the sun flowing in through our barred window. At no point in my eleven years in this cage had our door ever opened during the day.

Standing up slowly, I turned my whole body and faced the door, putting myself in front of the other girls subtly. It was always better to meet danger head-on, rather than have the fear be an unknown at your back. We released deep breathes in shudders as we all got ready for this sudden intrusion. Screaming was the first thing we heard through the open door — an outraged, muffled cry from a woman rang through the hall. _Must be a new girl_, I thought with a frown. Three figures came out of the shadows of the room, two of them hurled the third into the room, she landed roughly on the stone before us. The guards looked around until their eyes fell on me. The shorter of the two grinned evilly and walked toward me.

"Lavender," he purred in what I'm sure he thought was a silky tone, but came off more like oil, and he stopped in front of me. From behind him came, "Prepare her. King Pin wants her first thing this evening." Fredric said, from his spot still by the door. A rotted sneer stretched across his thin face. King Pin's right and left-hand men stood before me. Fredric was tall and prematurely grey. He had never had a kind word to say in his entire life. Anyone King Pin decried needed punishment. Fredric happily slipped out his signature curved blades and gleefully tore them apart. These qualities are what made him the scarier of the two. The stouter one, his brother Henric, was more likely to kill you quickly, but Fredric like pain. He enjoyed the slow death from a long drawn terror.

"Yeah, make sure she's done up real well, babe. You know how King Pin likes em'." Henric's mangled face became even more horrendous as he grinned. He reached a hand toward me, catching a lock of my hair in his hand and bringing it to his face and taking a deep whiff. "You remember how I like it, too, baby, don't ya?"

Internally I shrieked, ranted about how I'd rather die than let him touch me, or rather, ever touch me again, that I'd rather die than subject another girl to the horrors I had suffered, but I did nothing. I did not need another beating this week. I just stared them down as he released my hair, some of it catching on his jagged fingernails, pulling free of my roots. He just chuckled as I winced and tucked the strands into his pocket. _Fucker did that on purpose to get a reaction from me. _My spine remained stiff and unbowed as they slowly backed out of the room, their chuckling grating further on my nerves as they left. When the door shut, I let out a weary sigh. The bravado draining from me as the immediate danger moved on. Shaking myself, I looked down at the girl shaking at my feet.

She was so slight that even my small hands could probably go around her waist. Her shoulder-length orange hair was in complete disarray, from I suspect the grip of a sweaty, unsympathetic hand. Though she was still laying where the guards had thrown her, her hand had come up to cover her mouth, muffling her breathless sobs. Tears were running nonstop from her vibrant brown eyes. Her soft lips split, and her left eye was swelling slightly, most likely from being backhanded.

"Have they hurt you much?" My voice in the otherwise silent room seemed to shock her out of her stupor. She raised those coffee-colored eyes to me and subtly shook her head no, though I noticed her hand was gently cradling her swelling eye and cheek. I'll admit this surprised me. Typically girls who had been hand-picked off the street were severely roughed up. _Marcus must want to break this one all on his own._ I grimaced at that thought and lowered myself down to my knees beside her. Gently I rested my hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"What's your name?" My voice was gentle. I'm sure it surprised Tara and Jezza. I was away with Marcus when they first got here, and they were the first to talk to Sady, so they've never seen me welcome a new girl before.

She shivered a little, and her voice shook, but she managed to say, "N-nami. My name is Nami. What's yours?"

"Names' Well-Lavender, call me Lavender." Looking at her as gently as I could, I ask, "Where did they get you?"

Tears suddenly refilled her eyes, and she hung her head.

"I was in the shopping district with my crew. Sanji wanted to get some fresh fruits and veggies and other supplies for our ship, but I said I wanted to buy map materials, and then I saw this perfect gift for my crewmate Robin. I slipped away without telling him. They probably don't even know I'm missing yet." Her head hung suddenly as if her sorrow was just too heavy.

I thought about it for a second before I asked, "Was it a clothing store?"

Her head popped up in shock; her eyes widening slightly, "How did you know that?"

I just grimaced sadly and continued, "Was there a girl there, mostly beige, didn't speak much?"

"Ya! I thought it was so weird. She, she saw me getting taken and didn't do anything! She closed the blinds and walked away." a fresh wave of tears followed.

Using my grip on her shoulder gave her a gentle squeeze. "Most likely, Nami, she's the one that called Fredric and Henric."

"What?! But why?!"

Wendie answered first, "She used to be one of us. A slave, but they broke her and gave her to the two guards who brought you here. They use her to scout for potential girls for their master."

Nami didn't speak. She just stared at Wendie as if she had grown a second head. Finally, after a very long second, she turns back to me and asks, "What is this place?" Nami asked, trepidation threading through her voice.

Sighing heavily, I rose from my knees, bringing her with me with my grip on her arms.

"This is hell. Or as likely as you are to encounter it while still alive." Nami's already pale skin went whiter, and the color drained from her lips. I think only my grip on her kept her upright.

"What do you mean by that?" Her voice had gone high and raspy.

"We are a harem for Marcus 'King Pin' Urasea, Nami. Do you know what a harem is?"

Horror fills her eyes as the reality of her circumstance fully registers. Her pupils were going to pinpricks, and her skin was going clammy under my hands.

"No, it can't be. I mean, I cant. I won't!" She is crying harder and holding my hands tight across her chest as she tries not to freak out completely.

I sigh and hold her through her freakout, wrapping my arms around her as she shakes. I murmur what I hope are comforting words, but honestly don't even know what I'm saying. Mostly just hushing sounds. Finally, she pulls away slightly and meets my eyes.

"Wait, what did they mean by 'Prepare her'?" There is a thread of hysteria in her voice.

Tara answers from across the room, her voice gruff, "We need to get you ready to fuck. Duh." Jezza promptly smacks her upside the head for being so crass.

If possible, Nami goes more rigid.

"Isn't there anyone to help? Like the police or something." Grasping for straws. Everyone goes through it in the beginning.

Shaking my head, I say, "No, Nami. The men who threw you in here were the police."

"B-But how could that be. What kind of messed up place is this?"

"Fallnia. A nation that exists completely under the hard thumb of a power-hungry despot."

She attempts to argue several times. Her mouth was opening and closing so that she almost looks like a fish, but no sound comes out.

Without her noticing, I began walking toward my bed and sat her down on it. I can see the wheels in her head spinning. She's trying to work out a way out of this, but I can see shes coming up short. Slowly I work my way through my few outfits. Even if shes taller, we are still about the same size, and one of my dresses might fit her.

Tara catches on to what I'm doing and scoffs derisively. "Why bother Lav? We both know he's picking you when he sends for someone tonight. Even if she's new, he hasn't requested you in a few days. We all know he can't resist." I do my best to ignore her. _Is she deaf? They literally just said he wanted Nami prepared. _Even as anger begins to boil in my gut, pushing past it, I grab for the hem of Nami's shirt. She comes out of her shock when she feels the cold air of our cell on her navel.

"What are you doing!" I flinch away from the sudden shriek in my ear.

Sighing, I say, "Changing your clothes."

"Bu-but you cant. I will not be a sex slave!"

I sigh heavily, hating every moment of this. "You're already a slave, Nami." It's blunt, but I think that's what she needs. She resolutely crosses her arms over the front of her shirt and shakes her head. "No, I'm just temporarily inconvenienced." I almost would have laughed if it didn't make me so sad.

"I will NOT be changing my clothes. I will sit right here and wait for rescue." Nami swings her head around and sticks her turned-up nose in the air and huffs. _As if that's the end of it. Maybe shes stupid?_

Groaning, I look over to the far left wall and get an idea. Sitting with knees pulled up, and head bowed is Alice, the only slave that's been here longer than I have.

"Hey Alice, come here a second."

She doesn't even question it. You need autonomy for that, and that was all gone by now.

She stops just shy of me, and I take her hand and run soothing circles on the back of it with my own. If not for our bond, she would probably be just like Jane by now.

"Please show Nami what King Pin did to you when you first got here and refused to do what he wanted." Anxiety suddenly showed through her otherwise empty, grey eyes, but I just smiled gently and continued to stroke her hand.

She sighed and knelt by Nami. Looking the girl dead in the eye, she stuck out her tongue. Well, the nub where her tongue once was. Nami cried out when she saw it. She put her hand up as if she was going to touch it but dropped it down to her lap, where she took a death grip on her other hand.

"They did that to you?" Her voice trembled.

Alice nodded. She looked at me, a question in her eyes. "Yeah, Alice, you can go." Alice nodded once and then swept back to her bunk.

Nami turned her horrified eyes to me, "Why did they do that."

"She was rebellious. The daughter of a rich noble from before the war and thought she'd get rescued any day. So she refused to wear the clothes, refused to use the right words, and our master had her tongue cut out. It did the trick when they brought me in; it was just after it happened, and the fight had left her. She wasn't who I remembered."

"You knew her before?" I froze suddenly. I looked at Nami's eyes, and I think she saw the panic sink in. Waving her hand in front of her face, she seemed to wave off the question and looked forward. My breath left me in a whoosh, and I continued to hand her clothes.

Sighing sadly, she grabbed the dress and harem type shorts. "Could you guys turn away for a few seconds?" Nodding, we did as she asked. She cleared her throat, and I turned to see her looking about as uncomfortable as I'd expected. "Don't worry, when you get called, they will at some point take your measurements, and they will get you clothes that fit." I placed my hand over my mouth as soon as I said it. _God, did I say that? Dumb-ass_.

"Oh yeah. Can't wait till those thugs come to get me for the rape. You think this Marcus will do it by himself, or is he going to let them join." Tara started to say something, but my face must have made her think twice. "But hey," Nami continued to yell, "at least I'll get some new clothes out of it though, huh!" She sounded a touch hysterical, but at least now she was angry instead of the hopeless woman I feared she was.

Crossing her arms, she sat hard on my bunk, shuddering. "Well, this won't matter by tonight anyway."

Looking at her sideways from my spot beside her, I motioned with my hand for her to continue. "Once my crew knows I'm missing, they will tear this island down to its foundations."

Tara and Jezza laughed. I looked over at them with another scowl. Jezza had managed to wipe most of the blood from her face, but I could tell her mouth was still bleeding and pointed to my own with a chuckle. She scowled harder. _Damn, her scowl gets any deeper her eyebrows are going to touch her cheekbones._

"Sure, Nami. I just bet they will." I could hear the giggles in Tara's voice. _What a wicked cow._

"You don't know them!" Nami shouted. "Luffy, my captain, will be king of the pirates, and he already tore up one island to make me his navigator; I can't see how this will be any different!"

Tara and Jezza still laughed at her. Nami turned red under their dismissals. Tapping her elbow slightly to get her attention, I asked, "Do you honestly think they will come for you?"

"I know it." There was no tremor in her voice. That one sentence was the most steady thing she had said in her entire time here. She was so confident that it gave me hope, and I smiled a slight smile as I looked away toward the window. The sun was going down. _Had it been that long already? _I felt slightly bewildered to notice the fading light._ Feels like only minutes, but I'm sure the sun has moved at least two or more hours._

"You think they might be able to help us?"

She looked at me with suddenly bewildered eyes. I nodded and went to turn away. _I understand, _I thought, _can't expect strangers to help when one of their own is in danger. _

Nami put her hand on my shoulder, and I turned just my head.

"Lavender, it was never a question of if we will help you. Of course, we will."

Hope bloomed in my heart. It was small but warm. I looked at her a second longer and then turned entirely onto my side, laying my head down on my pillow. _Maybe this is what we have been waiting for all this time._ We didn't say anything else. I could hear Wendie explaining to Nami the routine of how dinner is at 5, how they come every night at 6 to get the girl King Pin wanted that evening. Sady was crying again. Tara was now tending to both her and Jezza, who was finally letting her tears fall against Tara's shoulder. I drowned them all out. And at last, I drifted into a fitful sleep. A solitary tear slid down my cheek as I dreamed of freedom.

A/N2- I just wanted to clarify. The OC's name is Wellesley. But due to circumstances, she goes by Lavender for now. Sorry if it's confusing, but I promise it'll make more sense in future chapters. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm planning to have a new chapter every three days or so if my schedule allows it. I'm also a very fussy writer, so I'm often tweaking chapters that I previously may have thought finished. Please leave a review about how you feel it's going so far and let me know if there's anything that you think is a mistake or can be improved.


	3. Chapter 2 - Wellesley

Chapter 2 - Wellesley

_Italicized - Thoughts_

It was a dream, had to be. Because for the first time in a while, there were no screams, no flashes of waking terrors, no cold sapping the warmth from my toes. Instead, there were strong arms around me. Not aggressive, not holding me down, just comforting and protective. They were thickly muscled and darkly tanned. The smell of steel and the sea swept over me with every even deep breath he took. His heart was beating hard and steady under my ear; I had never known peace like this. It was cozy and snug. Just as I was sinking deeper into his arms, into the dream, it suddenly shifted, and it was a different set of arms holding me. These were slimmer but still well-muscled, the fingers holding mine were longer more dexterous looking. The scent of heavy spices and smoke rose from him like a perfume, and the smell calmed my suddenly shaky nerve. His breath was soft and warm on the nape of my neck.

I basked in the dream. I was feeling my way through many different moments with these two men. The gentleness and affection they showed me made me nearly weep. I couldn't remember the last time anyone had handled me so gently. Even though I never heard their voices, never saw their faces, I knew they were somehow mine. That they would keep me safe; this dream gave me hope. I knew that there was a chance that this was no ordinary dream. Fallnia had always been known for its tourism and then for the brief war. The lesser-known wonder of Fallnia was, in fact, a plant, the soothsy flower that grows at the border between the beach and forest. Soothsy also grows around the perimeter of our prison. Soothsy releases pollen that, when inhaled, causes visions of the future.

My mother always said that when members of our family inhaled the soothsy, we could see farther than anyone else. It allowed us to find the loves of our lives, prepare for droughts, famine, war. As I became wrapped in the scents of spice and steel and sea, I knew this was to be my home. It also caused a deep ache in my heart as I felt the yearning for the unknown and the desperate need to helps those I love began to war within me. The fretting started to warp the dream, and I had just started to lose the sense of belonging when a commotion roughly roused me from sleep.

Loud clanking ripped me from my waring emotions and the warmth and comfort I had felt back into the cold and damp of my conscious world. _Was it five o'clock already?_ I asked myself as I harshly rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Crankily I cracked my eye open and squinted toward the door. Jane was wheeling in a heavy tray. While the food was steaming, the smell was almost enough to turn one away from a meal all together. Usually, it was only watery soup with the occasional carrot or celery slice floating at the top and meat that more fat and bone than actual meat. After eating it for so long, I probably wouldn't be able to identify anything else. At least the ale was always strong. Strong enough to dull the senses so we wouldn't put up too much of a fight when they came for us in the night and strong enough so that the one who gets chosen won't feel so much.

I watched Jane make her way through the room. Watched Nami noticed her too. Her face flushed quickly with anger, and she balled her fists in her lap so hard her nails bit into her hand. I saw her coil herself tightly, preparing for a confrontation.

"Hey!" She hopped up from her spot at the foot of my bed and flew at Jane. She raised her hand and smacked Jane with everything she had in her. Jane fell to the floor without a sound, much like a puppet that had just had its strings cut. "You bitch, how could you do this to me? How could you do this to anyone?!" I ran at Nami and grabbed her around the waist. I quickly yanked her away from Jane before she could kick her in the side.

Nami continued to rant at Jane as I pulled her farther back into the room. Jane silently rose to her feet and continued to push the cart as if nothing had happened, not even bothering to wipe at the blood from her split lip, a single drop dripping off her chin and staining that immaculate beige blouse of hers.

I pushed Nami down onto my bed and held fast to her shoulders as she tried to get back up.

"Nami! Stop. We can't act like this. I dread what's going to happen when Fredric or Henric see that swelling on her cheek." She continued to struggle weakly, and fresh tears filled her eyes. Nami's stare remained fixed on Jane as the latter wheeled from one bunk to the next, passing out this evening helping of gruel. _Maybe we'll get butter with the stale bread, wouldn't that be a treat._

Nami glanced over at the still open cell door, and I saw the idea take root in her eyes and gripped her bicep as I felt her start to jump back to her feet.

"Don't." My voice was stern. It froze her like ice. Without moving, she let out a frustrated scream.

"But she left it open. We can escape." Again she made to jump up, and I again yanked her back down.

"Do you see that band of metal around Jane's wrist?" Nami glanced over and looked at the bright red light that blinked in an unsteady rhythm. Turning back to me, she nodded. "That is a signal that allows her to pass through that doorway. If someone without one of those tried to pass through that doorway when the security system is enabled, the floor drops out and opens a pit." to prove my point, I grabbed a dirty goblet off a nearby table and lobbed it through the doorway. It skittered a few feet before a trap door opened, and the cup dropped from sight with a loud clang.

Her eyes became comically large, the pupils not seeming to know if they wanted to constrict or dilate. "What's in the pit?" her voice trembled.

I gazed toward the cell door, forlornly before answering. "It's a spike pit." Nami gasped and stopped trying to get up. "The last girl who tried to escape was named Polly," I paused and took a deep breath to steady myself. "She had only been here maybe three days. Some traveling salesman's daughter that wandered too far from the harbor and into Jane's shop. Much like you did. She was pretty and petite, exotic, I guess would be the way to put it. She didn't even speak the language, which made it harder for her, I think. On the third day, the first after her first night with Marcus, she was inconsolable, just sobbed in her bunk all day. At dinner time, Jane left the door open, like she has today; I was too far from Polly to stop her as I did you when I saw her start getting ideas. I saw her grab a plate off JAne's tray and smash it into Jane's head, and made a mad dash for the door. We were all in shock, watching her bolt out the door. She made it a handful of steps before the floor gave out. She was impaled through her leg up through her chest."

"How terrible," Nami said, voice laced with horror.

I smiled ruefully at her. "The worst part is that she didn't die, not immediately. We had to listen to her cries for help for days. When it finally stopped, Marcus strolled to our door and from its frame told us that that would be our fate or worse if any of us ever dared to try to leave again. He left her there. We had to hear her die and then smell her rot. I'm assuming her bones are still there." Her brown eyes widened even further. _I swear her eyes are going to fall out if she opens them any more. _"When was this?"

"About five years ago." Wiping her head around, she searched my face for what I'm not sure. A lie maybe. Gulping and wetting her lips, she asked, "How long have you been here, Lavender?"

A dry chuckle escaped crawled out of my throat. A single tear slipped out my eye as I shook my head to clear to sudden fuzziness behind my eyes. "Since the war."

"But, Robin said that was eleven years ago."

"Then, I guess I've been here for eleven years." Unexpectedly Nami let out a sob and threw her arms around me, squeezing me tightly and tucking her face against my shoulder. I could feel those tears that had finally decided to leave her eyes running down her bare shoulder.

"I'm getting you out of here," she whispered, her breath hot against my hair. Unsure of what else to do, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and let her cry—almost conniving myself that the specks of tears on my top came from Nami and not from my own eyes.

I pulled away from her when I heard the cell door slam shut. It was time to prepare. The other girls were already deep in their cups. The two barrels of ale Jane had left already half gone. Reaching for my goblet, I suddenly remembered hucking it and released a deep sigh. "Well, damn."

Nami's dreary gaze swept to me a question on her face. "I threw my cup. Gotta wait till one of them is done to use theirs."

"Why?"

Not wanting to answer, I got up to get food from the tray. Sighing, I saw the watery soup I was expecting, _n__ot only with no butter but no bread either. Marcus must want us to lose weight. _Rolling my eyes, I snatched two bowls and made my way back over to Nami. She swirled her spoon despondently, and I quickly slurped mine down.

"Sanji would die if he saw me eating this," Nami said before bringing a spoonful up to her mouth with a grimace.

"You mentioned him before. Is he your lover?"

Nami choked on her soup with a laugh. Taking the napkin, I held out for her face, "No, he's the cook on our ship. I mean, he's practically family, and I do love him but not like that." A smile looked good on her. It made me feel smudge to know that with how Marcus treated us, he would never see how stunning she was.

"What are they like? Your crew?"

Nami's eyes took on a misty hue as she thought about them. She told me tales of her boisterous captain, the stoic but loyal swordsman, the most fantastic chef from the east blue, a sniper who was a kind-hearted liar, the reindeer doctor, and the mysterious archaeologist. She spun tales and stories about their adventures, how they had met, how they had become each other's family. By the time Nami was wrapping up their Alabasta adventure, the soup was gone, and my cheeks hurt from laughing. It took me a moment to realize that the sun was down. The happiness from earlier dissipated, and dread started to boil in my gut. I slammed my bowl down and stood so suddenly it upset Nami's bowl, and it shattered on the stone floor.

"Hey! What? What is it?"

Staring at the door, I waited for shadows to show under the wood. "It's almost 6." The rowdiness of the other girls slowly petered out as they also came to that realization. Tara and Jezza crawled over to their beds and promptly passed out. _Lazy skanks. So sure it's not their turn, they let their guard down and got too trashed. _Turning my head, I saw the crybaby, Sady, from last night hiding between her bed and the wall, _like that would help_. Wendie had positioned herself by Alice. I smiled fondly, _always to the motherly protector. _The other girls I didn't know all prepared themselves as best they could.

Standing with my legs pressed to the foot of the bed, I tried to hide as much of Nami as I could. "What happens now?" The anxiety in Nami's voice has palpable. "Now, we wait for the shadows."

A/N Sorry for such a long wait. This chapter is also not everything that I wanted it to be, but it is necessary to get to the rest of the story. I hope you guys enjoy it. Reviews are welcome and encouraged.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Zoro

_Italicized - Thoughts_

Of course, Luffy had run off as soon as Nami had been out of sight. _Can't believe that witch hasn't learned that rubber idiot will do whatever he wants to do, and that's that. And what like she expected me to babysit him. It's as if she doesn't know us at all. _Robin was still seated at her usual table with an umbrella, reading that same book she'd been reading for the last few days. An ice-cool frufru drink the cook had made for her sitting to her right, condensation dripping down the side. _It must__ be nice having some chump catering to her every whim. _Damn love-cook didn't ask if I'd like a glass of water, let alone a whole fruity concoction. Not that I need to be waited on, but still, he could ask. Grumbling, I settled against the railing of the Merry to take a quick nap before the others came back from their various tasks.

I knew immediately that this was no ordinary dream. Usually, I dream of fighting, defeating enemies, and becoming a stronger fighter. I've dreamed of Kuina and my crew in everyday situations. I've dreamed of squaring off against Mihawk, finally defeating him and claiming the title of World's Greatest Swordsman, fulfilling my dream, and finally honoring Kuina's memory.

This dream was not that. It was warm and snuggly. _The fuck? Do I even know the word snuggly?_ I couldn't make out much of the surroundings. Everything was hazy and the colors bright and fading into themselves. In the dream, I made to move, and I noticed that there was a slight weight on my arm. Bending my head to the left bright lilac-colored hair was suddenly tickling my nose, and the smell of vanilla was floating around my head. I pulled whoever it was closer and felt all of their curves fit seamlessly against mine. From the way we were laying, I'm assuming they would only come up to my shoulder, and from the way my arm pulled at her waist, she couldn't have weight more than 115, 120 pounds. Her breaths were deep and even, and everything about it screamed home, safe. I could feel her lips, pulled into a small smile, resting softly against my neck, the bottom lip just a little bit fuller than the top. I wanted to ask questions. Who is she? Where are we? Is this a trick of some kind? But it didn't feel like a trick, and I had never felt so safe. I nuzzled down into her hair and inhaled her vanilla scent. _God has anything ever been this soft, smelled this good?_ I squeezed her just a little harder, and she let out a sleepy, pleased sigh. The sound made me smile, and I settled down to try and sink deeper into this feeling.

Then the dream shifted. It was a dizzying shift from the warm salty sea air of Merry's deck. Now I was sitting in the galley. Confused, I reached to pull the girl closer as if to protect her only to notice that she was now gone. I looked up from my empty arms, and suddenly the shitty-cook was against my front gripping my white shirt and pulling me into a deep kiss. I gasped into Sanji's mouth out of shock, and he took full advantage slipping his tongue in to tangle with mine. He tasted like smoke obviously, but also of sweet blueberries and tart cherries. _Probably some frilly desert he was trying._ The kiss went on and on, and for some reason, I wasn't pushing him away.

Instead, I placed my hands on his narrow waist and pulled him closer. Sanji let out a low moan that caused my brain to almost short circuit. Holding him like this, I finally noticed how toned his body was. Smaller than mine but still firm and honed to a razor's edge. I also noticed that I was just a few inches taller as he had to stretch to get a good lock with my lips. _He'd hate that, considering how competitive we are about everything. _It made me smirk into the kiss briefly as I realized I had him beat on something. He seemed to take my smirk as a challenge and reach one hand up into my hair and gave it a good yank, which caused all sorts of pleasant signals firing across my already scattered mind, and I let out a satisfied grunt. This dream seemed more intense than the previous one. Maybe because I know the cook, I'm not sure, but it still felt right, that word home was once again ringing in my ear. I started getting into the kiss when suddenly Sanji's other hand that wasn't in my hair slid down my waist to the button of my pants. The second he touched me there, I realized how hard I was, and when his deft fingers slid my zipper down and made to slip inside, I knew the second he touched me I was going to...

Suddenly I was kicked awake and flung into Merry's mast. "Wake up, Marimo! Nami is missing!"

I became disoriented, and it took a minute for me to fully wake up and shake off the rash of hormones still raging through me. I rubbed my head where id hit it and tried to fight the embarrassment of being caught having a sex dream and the raging hard-on that was currently flagging but trying to make a comeback. I ran up to him with my hand on Wado's hilt. "You shitty-cook, the hell you kicking me for?" I knew my ears and cheeks were probably bright red. I hoped he thought it was anger and not the sudden burst of arousal I had from being right in his face, ignoring how I suddenly noticed how long his eyelashes are.

Sanji blew a quick stream of smoke from his cigarette at my face, "I told you, Nami is missing! Did that bush on your head sprout roots in your ears?" Still fuming, I backed up a few steps and removed my hand from my sword hilt.

"What do you mean she's missing?" _Witch probably ditched him to trick the locals at a bar somewhere out of their hard-earned money and left him to carry her junk back. _Rolling my eyes, I turned fully towards the cook.

Sanji was flushed, his hair mushed, so both his eyes were almost visible. _Has he always looked so fuckable? _As I thought that, I shook my head so hard my neck cracked. _That fucking dream got me all out of wack. _

"She disappeared like an hour and a half ago." He looked even more distraught as he said, "My sweet Nami-swan must have been taken by some filthy brute while I was to distracted to notice the lack of the sun at my side. I haven't seen her since. How could I have been so stupid as not to give that angel my fullest attention?" He sighed dramatically and hung his head—smoke from the cigarette curling up past his ears.

"How do you know she was taken and didn't just ditch you?"

His head snapped up, and he looked pissed. "How dare you talk about Nami like that. She is a lady, and ladies do not ditch their friends and disappear!"

_I need to get laid bad if I'm having fantasies about this dumbass. He's known Nami how long and still has these ideals about who he thinks she is instead of seeing reality?_ I must have snorted a slight laugh as he glared harder at me. I motioned with my hand for him to continue.

"I did find this." He said with a huff while bending down to the mound of packages near his feet. He pulled out a slightly crumpled cowboy hat and went to hand it to me when suddenly the smell of flowers and a freaking arm erupted from my elbow.

"Gah! What the hell, Robin. I've asked you not to do that a dozen times!" I rubbed at my arm, trying to chase the numbness that always follows Robin's spontaneous limbs from my arm while grimacing at the spot her arm had been.

"Shitty moss-head. Don't talk to the lovely Robin-chwan like that." Sanji went to knock me in the head, but I evaded it.

I noticed that Robin had laid a trail of arms to bring the hat to her. She looked contemplative.

"Sanji. Where did you get this?"

"Oh, my beauty, I found it on the ground. Here let me take it, so you don't have to dirty your lovely hands with this filth."

He went to take the hat, but Robin wouldn't let go.

"This is something I'd have picked out. Nami said if she saw something she thought I'd like, she'd grab it for me. What are the odds she'd say that, and then you find this just randomly on the ground around where you last saw her, I wonder?" She placed the hand not holding the hat against her left cheek and stare thoughtfully out at the beach.

A cold feeling suddenly traveled up my spine. What if Nami was really in danger? She was nowhere near a strong fighter and so delicate. My hand rested back on Wado's hilt and tightened till my knuckles turned a mottled white. Sure Nami is irritating and a money-grubbing brat, but she was a member of my crew. Part of the only family I"d ever had. If something had happened to her, I was going to slice this island to slivers.

"Cook, you sure the witch didn't just wander off?" He looked like he wanted to kick me in the head but must have seen my grip on Wado and my suddenly fierce expression because he backed down.

"She would have told me if she was leaving the area. I know she wouldn't have left. She's not directionally challenged, like some idiot we all know." I scowled in his direction but kept my comments to myself. If Nami was missing, then I could understand him taking his worry and frustration out on me.

"Well, what do we do?" I crossed my arms over my chest and looked Sanji in the eye.

He honestly seemed at a loss. I could see the frustration in his eye and his stance. I watched as he quickly ran a hand through his golden hair. _The fuck. Golden? Since when is his hair golden?_

"Why don't we go to the last place you saw her and go from there?"

"Oh, Robin-chwan, that beautiful brain of yours saves the day again." _Really. Even I could have thought of that—idiot cook. Women make him stupid._

The cook went into search mode immediately. Tossing me a key, he said, "Oi moss-head grab the canteens and bento boxes I prepared out of the fridge. I'll grab the spare packs out of the bunk room, and then we'll head out." He turned away from me before I had even said a word. Robin was still glancing toward the beach with the hat clutched tightly in her hand. _Not a lot of people have probably bought her presents in her life, I imagine. Sucks that the first time someone tried, they go missing. _She was still so mysterious and hard to read. Yeah, we'd been through a lot together, but I was no closer to understanding her than when she was just Crocodiles head flunky. But from what I could see, she seemed worried, with that slight crinkle between her eyes, the tenseness of her shoulders, and the flat line of her mouth.

_All this mushy thinking is too much for me. I need a stiff drink and a rough fight. _Shaking my head with a short snort, I turned toward the galley door, fully intending to snatch a bottle of ale for the journey. As I walked through, I paused momentarily to stare at the table, remembering how, in my dream, Sanji had pressed me against it and touched me so tenderly. Absentmindedly I reached up and touched my lips, suddenly lost in thought remembering how soft his lips had been against mine and how silky that mystery girl's lilac hair had been. I hadn't realized how long I was standing there staring off into space until the door smacked me in the back and sent me flying forward.

"Damnit, what are you doing? Every second we waste standing around is another that Nami is in the clutches of god knows who. Get the stuff and let's go." He slammed the door behind him as he stormed back out to the deck. The lack of poetic nonsense surrounding Nami's name and calling me an idiot put a little more pep in my step, and I quickly unlocked the fridge and grabbed everything, and followed Sanji out. He promptly separated the food into six backpacks.

"Why six?"

"We have to find the others while we are out. I don't know what we might come across, and I want our full strength if it turns into a fight."

That made sense; we always seem to get involved in something glad one of us is learning. _God_,_ I hope there's a fight. I need to burn off some of this nonsense energy that has been brewing since we got here._

"What do we do about the ship?" Robin still hadn't moved except to turn to look our direction.

Sani paused in packing the bags and seemed to contemplate that. "I know the Merry is our home and part of the ship, but ships are replaceable. Nami is not. We need our full strength, and the three of us are some of the strongest our crew has. We all go. If we come across Usopp and Chopper, we will send them here to guard and get Merry ready in case we have to make a quick getaway."

The plan seemed sound, and Robin and I grabbed packs; Sanji refused to let her carry more than just her one, so I ended up with three slung over my shoulders. _Has he forgotten she can grow __more hands?_

We hopped down onto the rickety dock and moved toward the beach. Various foot trails disappeared into the town and off into the woods. We headed toward the same path Sanji and Nami had taken that morning. I could hear Sanji and Robin making plans and small talk and must have zoned out thinking about what had happened and what we were setting out to do because I was suddenly aware that I couldn't hear them anymore. Looking up, I realized they were no longer in front of me and that I was in the forest and not in the town. _Damn. What did they walk off and not tell me? Typical even at a time like this, they wander off and leave me alone._

Looking around, I saw nothing except lush palm trees and a ground littered with fronds and a weird red-blue flower growing everywhere. Scratching my head, I swiveled about trying to find a landmark or path that I could use to get back to the cook and Robin. Off in the distance, I saw a vague outline of a tower and what looked like a large manor. _I bet I could get a good vantage point from up there. _

I set towards the tower, making sure to keep it in my sights at all times lest it moves like the surrounding always seem to do around me. I had made it about three feet when I notice that the plants around me had slowing begun to change from mostly fronds and ferns to a steady path of just those red-blue flowers. _Huh. Weird. _I looked farther down and noticed that the flowers continued in an almost straight shot toward that tower.

Smiling, I continued, hand on my sword hilt. _This is a path that even an idiot could follow._

_A/N So, I'm not completely happy with this chapter. I was trying to keep them all in character and am still not completely happy with it. But this one is necessary for further chapters, so here it is. I'm unbeta'd, so if anyone out there is interested in betaing to check for characterization of maybe to fix structure in things that I missed, please let me know. _

_I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review. Have a happy week :)_


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